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“I’m doing a lot better. Gina and I are back together, for good this time.”
My lips quirk up in a soft smile, and I place my hand on his on top of the table. “I’m so happy to hear that, Will. So, I take it therapy helped.”
“Yeah, and I won’t be quitting this time. I’m still seeing my therapist, just not as frequently.”
“Good, I’m glad.”
He shifts in his seat, almost like he’s uncomfortable. “I need to confess something to you, something I’ve never told you.”
“Okay.” I take a sip of my water, my throat suddenly dry and my palms damp from nerves.
He tells me about the guilt he carried over Candace’s death, and the more he talks the more my gut clenches. How did I never realize he had all these demons tormenting him? How did I miss the signs that something more happened that night?
Tears fill my eyes as I realize how much my brother has suffered for years in silence. “Will…I can’t believe you never told me.”
“I know. I’m sorry, I just—”
“You have absolutely nothing to apologize for. I should’ve seen it. I know you. I should’ve realized there was more going on. I’m so sorry I’ve been such a shitty sister.” I hate all the pain my brother has gone through and that all this time I missed it.
“Becks. You are the opposite of a shitty sister. You’ve always been there for me when I needed you, without fail. I wasn’t ready to share this. I never told anyone. My therapist was the first person I ever confessed it to, and it took weeks of intense therapy before I could finally say the words out loud.”
“Does Gina know?”
“She does. She was the reason I finally dealt with all my ghosts. I knew if I wanted her to give me another shot, and for our relationship to work, I needed to deal with the one thing that was holding me back.”
“I can’t believe I never realized there was more to the story. I know you. I should’ve known something was up.”
“This isn’t on you at all. I wasn’t ready to tell anyone, and I worked really hard to keep it hidden.”
He says that, but I still feel like I should’ve known. And knowing I’ve kept something big from him only makes me feel a million times worse.
“I’m dating Trent.” The words spew from my mouth like water out of a squirt gun, and his face is just as shocked and taken aback as if I’d actually sprayed water at his face.
He shakes his head, like he’s not sure he heard me right. “Wait. Trent? As in our friend, Trent? Trent Bridger?”
I nod my head, my eyes wide and unblinking as I wait for him to yell at me. Instead he leans back in his chair and lets out a disbelieving laugh.
“Wow. I totally should’ve seen that coming.”
Now it’s my turn to be surprised. “What?”
He just looks at me like I should know what he’s talking about. “Come on. There was always a weird vibe between you two. Even when we were all just friends, there was a chemistry there. I actually thought you two would start dating after he kissed you when you guys were fifteen, but then neither of you ever talked about it and then you ended up hanging with a different friend group more often than not, so I didn’t bother bringing it up.”
“Wait, hold up. You knew about that?”
“Of course I knew. Elise saw you two and blabbed to me and Lainey when you were at swim practice.”
My jaw drops. “That little brat!”
Will just laughs. “How long have you two been dating?”
“Officially? Only a little over a month. I wanted to tell you when I last saw you, but you’d just broken up with Gina and you were…”
He waits for me to finish, but when I don’t, he does it for me. “A complete mess.”
“Something like that, yeah. I didn’t want to add to your plate.”
“And unofficially?”
